When a
London tunneling project uncovers an unearthly fire-breathing
beast from centuries of slumber, all hell breaks loose.
Twelve-year old Quinn (Bale) sees his mother, one of the
workers; die trying to escape this new terror. Twenty years
later as a "fire chief," Quinn tries to keep a group of refugees
alive with fierce dragons dominating the air and burning the
land, Van Zan (McConaughey) shows up with a ragtag group of
slayers on a perilous crusade to hunt down and destroy the
beasts. Tempers flare when there is a struggle for leadership -
until both men realize only one species is getting out of this
alive.

The
Video

REIGN
OF FIRE appears in
an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 on this single-sided, dual-layered
DVD; the image has been enhanced for 16X9 televisions. The DVD
transfer provided admirable picture. Sharpness looked excellent
looking crisp and clear. There were no signs of softness or
uncertainty. Jagged edges created no concerns, but I did notice
a bit of edge enhancement and grit in a few shots. Colors seemed
somewhat limited for this type of film, but when colors were
apparent they were presented with intensity and point. Black
levels came across deep and solid, whereas shadow detail
appeared distinctive and dense. By and large, REIGN OF FIRE
proved to be an outstanding transfer.

The
Audio

REIGN
OF FIRE is
presented in bothDolby Digital 5.1 and DTS soundtracks.
Overall both mix’s seemed comparatively similar, with the DTS
mix giving the film a little more feeling of excitement. Audio
came across normal and I noticed no signs of edginess. The sound
field was dynamic. I felt the track used effects perfectly,
creating a realistic atmosphere, giving the surround effects the
ability to move between channels efficiently.

The
Extras

- The
Making of the Dragons: Breathing Life into Terror

-
Pyrotechnics Featurette: If You Can't Stand the Heat

-
Conversations with Director Rob Bowman

- Original
Theatrical Trailer

Overall

REIGN
OF FIRE
is somewhat better than a cheesy B movie with a wider budget. If
you can shelve your skepticism and just enjoy the film, then
REIGN OF FIRE isn’t a half-bad film. I felt the film managed
to be entertaining and fun if nothing else. Fans of this movie
genre will most likely get a kick out of the film and
undoubtedly enjoy the exceptional quality of the special
effects. The DVD featured admirable picture with fantastic audio
mix but lacking with a small roster of supplements. This film
may not appeal to all, but I liked the film enough to recommend
it.